Headlight-support.



PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908.

L. L. LBMAYL HEADLIGHT SUPPORT. APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 29, 1907.

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fla/z w No. 882,898. I PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908. n. L. LBMAY.

HEADLIGHT SUPPORT.

APBLIOATIOI rnnn x0129, 1907-.

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J 71 0 7 7 gawk/4M y w y W UNITED STATES PATENT oFFrC LOUIS L. LEMAY, OF PEPPERELL, MASSACHUSETTS;

HEADLIGHT-SUPPORT.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented March 24, 1908.-

' Application filed November 29, 1907. Serial No. 404,227.

. is running on a straight track illuminate the track centrally and between the rails, are when the car is on a curve'thrown one side of the center of. the track, or'even to one side of the track itself, illuminating a region outside of the track instead of the rails and the space between them. This is, of course, because the advancing end of the car is when on a curve non-central with the track, the line of the center of the car being practically tan ential with the line of the center of the trac My present invention has for its object to remedy this defect, and to so sup ortand automatically adjust and direct t e headlight that it will, even when the car is round- .ively as when the car is traveling over a ing acurve, face and illuminate the track and the portion between the rails as effectstraight track.

In carrying out this invention, I provide a pivotal sup o rt for the light" which is sustained by tlie car-bod 0r dashboard, and the light is turned on a orizontal plane by a mechanism intermediate thereof and the for- ,'the car-body whose front end projects toward the outside of the curve, but by the truck which is always radial with the track, and which being pivotally connected with the car-body is free to follow the curve, whereby the front end of the truck is necessarily more nearly radial'with a curved track than the front end of the car-body. The nature of the invention is full .described in detail below, andillustrated 1n the accompanying drawings, in-which Figure 1 is a side'elevation of a portion of the front end of-a street-car provided with my invention. Fig. ,2 is a diagrammatic view in plan of the forward truck of a car on a curved track, with my invention. applied thereto, the general shape of a portion of the carbody being shown in dotted lines. Fi 3 is an enlarged side elevation in detafi, partly in section, showing the connection between the head-light and the front car-truck. Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevation of the same. In Figs. 3 and 4 certain portions are represented as broken out.

Similar numerals of reference indicate correslponding parts.

eferencenumeral 10 indicates a portion of an ordinary strect-car-body, 11 belng the dashboard, and 12 the forward truck plvotally connected at 13 in the ordinary manner with the car-body. i

14 and 15 represent a pair of plates bolted to opposite sides of the dashboard, and there extends from the outer late 14 a frame which comprises a'pair of orizontal bars 16 suitably braced at 17, the outer ends of said bars 16 being rigid'or integral with a vertical sleeve 'or tube 18. A v'ertical'rod or shaft 19 extends through said tube and has bearings therein, said rod supporting a vertical .yoke 20 in whose upper ends 21 there is hung an ordinary head-light 22.

The lower end of the vertical rod 19 hasv rigidly secured to it at 23 a block 24 which is horizontally bored to receive a horizontal tubular holder 25 which is recessed at 26 (Fig. 3) to receive thelower end of the rod 19. Said parts 24 and 25 rotate therefore with the rotation of the rod 19. This tubular holder 25 sup orts slidingly a horizontal rod 27 to whose fiont end is rigidl secured the head 28 of a vertical rod 29 whic extends down throu h one of the holes'30- near the front end 0 a horizontal bar 31' which is rigidly secured at 32 (Fjg. 1) near its rear end block can of course be removed from onehole to another as desired.

In practical operation, when the car is on a straight track the head-1i ht is parallel with the front end of the carody and with the front end of the forward truck, and the rod 27 is parallel ,with the bar 31, and is midway25, said holder being rotated by the rod 27 which -is swung horizontally by the engagement of its front end with the head of the vertical rod '29, said verti'cal'rod bein swung horizontally by the front end of the bar 31 which, being rigidly connectedat its rear-end with the pivoted truck is swung by the rotation of said truck with relation to the car-body as it enters and passes over the curve; During this movement of the parts the rod 27 is sliding horizontally in the holder 25. When the'forward truck enters on a left hand curve it rotates toward the left on its pivot '13, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and

thus swings the bar 31 toward the left, pull ing the rod 29 in the same direction, sliding the rod 27, forward in the tubular holder 25, and rotating said holder, and of course the I vertical rod 19 and the lantern 22 toward the v left, thus causing the'liead -light to take a position which is approximately radial with the curved track and in which it throws the rays of light forward between and upon the rails while the car is passing around the curve, instead of one side of the railsbeyond the outer side of the curved track, as would be the case if the head-light were non-rotatively connected with the car-body.

When the truck enters a curve in the opposite direction from' that illustrated in Fig. 2, it rotates toward the right/on its pivot 13 with relation to the car-body and thus swings the bar 31 to rd the right, ulling the rod 29 in the sa e direction, sli ing the rod 27 forward in the tubular holder 25, and rotating said holder, and of course the vertical rod 19 and the lantern 22 toward'the right, thus causing the head-light ,to take a-position which 18 a proximately radial with the curved wise rocking trac and in which it throws the rays of light forward between and upon the rails while the car is passing around the right hand curve.

It is obvious'that as there is no direct pivotal connection between the mechanism beneath the car-body which controls the rotation .of the head-light and the floor of the carbody, suitable allowance is possible for both the sidewise and lengthwise rocking of the car. The mechanism is prevented from inthetubular holder 25, while vertical or lengthis permitted without injury to the arts by reason of the rod 29 which exten s down through one of the holes 30, s ace being left bteween the head 28 and b 00k 34 to allow for relative vertical moveury When the car rocks sidewise by the tu-' ulai' connection consisting of the rod 27 and truck and extending ment at that foint. ment of slotte connections at ivotal points is rendered unnecessary, the shits be' a t to become quickly clogged with dirt,'wh1le in the tubular connection 27, 25, the rod-27 quickly clears itself as it slides longitudinally in the tubular holder 25' and swings rotatively on a horizontal plane. I

When a car accidentally leaves the track the truck, is apt to be rotated to an extreme degree, especially if a chain intendedto limit the extent of movement breaks; ,This extrenie turning of the truck is rendered possible without injury to the mechanism inasmuch as the rod 27 can be pulled entirely out Moreover the employ-- from the tubular holder25 without injuring any of the arts of the device.

t is evident that this to all cars-or vehicles having 'ivote dial trucks, and to either end 0 ,the car or vehicle which happens to be operating as the forward end. i

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is r 1. An automatically-adjusting head-light 1,

supporting mechanism for street-cars and ot er vehicles, comprising a substantially vertical rotative support for the head-light,- a supporting frame adapted to extend substantially horizontally from the car or vehicle- .body and provide bearin s for the rotative support whereby the hea -light maybe sustamed in'front of the dashboard, a substantially horizontal tubular holder ri idly connected with the lower end of said rotative support and constituting a horizontal slidedevice isapplicable I or ra- I way, a substantially horizontal rod supported and adapted to slide horizontally in said holder, a bar ri idly connected with the truck and extencing forward horizontally therefrom under said holder and horizontal rod, and a vertical pivotal connection between the forward portion of said rod and bar, for the'purpose set forth.

2. An automatically-adjusting head-light sulpporting mechanism for street-cars and ot ier vehicles, comprising a substantially vertical rotative support for the head-light, a supporting frame adapted to extend substantially horizontally from the car or vehiole-body and provide bearings for the rotative support whereby the head-light may be sustained in front of the dashboard, a substantially horizontal tubular holder rigidly connected with the lower end of said rotative support and constituting a horizontal slideway, a substantially horizontal rod su ported and adapted toslide horizontally in said holder, a bar rigidly connected with the forward horizontally therefrom under sai holder and horizontal forward end, a vertical pivot-pin extending rod and provided with vertical holes in its/ the purpose set orth.

of said holes, and a stop arranged on said pin under the horizontal bar at a distance to allow vertical pla of the pin in the hole,- for 3. An automatically-adjusting head-light supporting mechanism for street-cars and other vehicles, comprising a substantially vertical rotative su port for the head-light, means secured to t e car or vehicle for sustaining said rotative support at the forward 1 end thereof, a substantia ly horizontal tubular holder rigidly connected with the lower portion of the rotative support and constituting a horizontal slideway, a bar extending forward from the truck under the car-body, a horizontal rod adapted to move longitudi nally and rotatively in said slideway, and a pivotal connection between said sliding rod A and stationary bar, whereby the swinging of the bar as the truck travels over a curve 1mparts longitudinal or endwise movement to the sliding rod and causes it to swing in a horizontal plane for the purpose-of rotating the head-light support, and the tubular holder is adapted to rock on the toe.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS L. LEMAY.

iVitnesses:

HENRY- W. WILLIAMS, .M. A. Arwoon.

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